On January 9, a protest occurred at the offices of United States Senators across the country. The protest was organized by 350.org, an environmental organization that is attempting to persuade Senators to block President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet, specifically nominees who are antithetical to 350.org’s environmental agenda.

President-elect Trump is responsible for appointing over 1,300 positions, but the fifteen most influential positions are considered his cabinet. These individuals are in an order of succession to the presidency, should the President and Vice President become unable to fulfill their duties. 350.org and Greenpeace Jacksonville mainly oppose Trump’s picks due to their stances on the environment and climate change, although secondary issues exist with every nominee the group is protesting. Marco Rubio and Bill Nelson have not commented on the protests, although Rubio did press Rex Tillerson about his ties to Russia. Despite intense questioning, it is likely all cabinet picks will be confirmed given the majority Republican senate.

This article is intended to provide a background of these nominees, and their potential impact during the Trump administration.

Andrew Puzder, who is the CEO of the parent company that owns Carl’s Jr. and Hardees, has been nominated for the Secretary of Labor. If confirmed by the senate, Puzder will head the Department of Labor which enforces and recommends laws regarding workplaces, unions and any other issues regarding employer-employee relationships. Greenpeace Jacksonville opposes the nomination of Puzder because he has voiced his support for abolishing the federal minimum wage, and he believes that doing so would slow the pace of automation replacing low skilled jobs. Puzder is also scrutinized for his derogatory and sexist statements, specifically his endorsement of Carl’s Jr. advertisements that feature women eating burgers in a sexually suggestive manner. The ex-wife of Puzder recently accused the nominee of abusing her on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Puzder’s confirmation hearing has been moved to February, where he will go before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions – of which neither Senator Rubio nor Nelson are members.

Trump has nominated Ben Carson for Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Carson was considered one of the most exceptional neurosurgeons upon his retirement in 2013, but he has since focused his capabilities on politics despite having never held any sort of political office. Greenpeace Jacksonville’s main argument against the appointment of Carson is that he has never had any experience relevant to housing or urban development. Carson even stated that he decided not to join Trump’s Cabinet because he felt he lacked any government experience, but two weeks later when Carson became the nominee he changed his mind. As of January 12th, Ben Carson is currently undergoing hearings before the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee.

The nominee for Secretary of Commerce is Wilbur Ross, a billionaire with ties to the coal, steel, textile and telecommunications industries. Ross was able to make his billions in part by resurrecting dying businesses – particularly in coal and steel industries, which Trump intends to revive. Greenpeace Jacksonville’s opposition arises in the manner of which Ross flips dying businesses. His strategy often involves laying off employees, reducing pensions and reducing costs in general which has a negative effect on his workers. For instance, there are allegations that Ross knew of safety violations in a West Virginia coal mine where twelve workers were killed in an explosion and subsequent collapse, but Ross refused to shut the mine down prior to the disaster.

Rex Tillerson, who is the CEO of ExxonMobil and has a record of underselling the effects of climate change, has been nominated for Secretary of State. Trump values Tillerson for his business experience and his dealings with several countries, but many critics are arguing that this experience poses a potential conflict of interest. During Tillerson’s hearing, Senator Marco Rubio grilled the nominee about his relationship with Russia, and whether or not he considered Vladimir Putin to be a war criminal. Later in the hearing, Tillerson postured himself as hard-liner regarding the United States’ relationship with Russia by stating he would have favored arming and aiding the Ukrainian government during Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea. Tillerson distanced himself from Trump by saying he was not in favor of Trump’s campaign position of banning Muslim immigration, but he did not directly say he would oppose a national registry for Muslim individuals in the United States. The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations has not yet offered their recommendation on Tillerson.

Trump has nominated Scott Pruitt as the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. Pruitt is currently serving as the Attorney General for the state of Oklahoma, where he has filed eight federal lawsuits against the EPA’s regulations of the energy industry. This, coupled with the fact that Pruitt is a climate change skeptic, has raised some alarm with 350.org and Greenpeace Jacksonville. Pruitt will go before the Environment and Public Works Committee on January 18th, where he is expected to face criticism from senate democrats.

Rick Perry, former Governor of Texas, is Trump’s nominee to head the Department of Energy. This choice is particularly strange, because Perry once said during his 2012 presidential campaign that he would shut down the Department of Energy if elected. In addition to energy, the department also houses the National Nuclear Security Administration which plays a critical role in building and maintaining nuclear weapons. Previous secretaries are typically leading academics in the field of physics, with resumes bolstered by top positions at research institutions and even Nobel Prizes. Perry, who once claimed that the science behind climate change is a conspiracy, would bring a different set of credentials to the office. 350.org and Greenpeace Jacksonville are most concerned with the fact that not only could Perry continue to advocate for the fossil fuel industry, he could also end the department’s climate change and renewable energy programs. With his confirmation hearing quickly approaching, Perry stated that he will sever ties with energy companies that support him once he is confirmed by the senate.

The nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services is Tom Price, former orthopedic surgeon and current chair of the House of Representatives Budget Committee. Protesters in Florida and other states are trying to block his confirmation because he plans to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act and reduce Medicare and Medicaid. Price’s proposal for a replacement will instead offer tax credits to individuals who buy private health insurance policies, and the plan will also limit the use of federal funds to pay for abortion. After a couple rounds of hearings, Price could be confirmed by February.

Trump nominated Montana Representative Ryan Zinke for Secretary of the Interior. Before entering politics, Zinke studied geology at the University of Oregon and then served as a Navy SEAL for over twenty years. Zinke has served on the House Natural Resources Committee where he has consistently defended the right of public access to federal land, but Zinke tends to vote against environmentalists in regards to natural resource extraction. Zinke also supports the construction of the Keystone pipeline, which is primarily why environmental organizations oppose his confirmation.

United States Senator Jeff Sessions from Alabama is Trump’s nomination for Attorney General. Sessions has faced criticism from civil rights groups, often citing him as the most conservative member of congress for his strict opposition to all forms of immigration and same sex marriage. In 1986, Sessions was nominated by President Reagan to be a federal judge for a district in Alabama, but his appointment was blocked by the senate because of allegations by Sessions’ former colleagues that he made racially offensive remarks throughout his career. Sessions is hoping that his current confirmation hearing does not conclude as it did thirty years ago.

Betsy DeVos has been nominated by Trump for Secretary of Education. DeVos has never held a public position, nor has she ever worked in education. However, the prominent Republican Party donor has used her influence to promote school choice and charter schools in her home of Detroit, Michigan. Greenpeace Jacksonville opposes her appointment because DeVos has advocated for the closing of some public schools, and supports paying private for-profit schools with tax dollars. The confirmation hearing for DeVos will be held on January 17th.

Steve Bannon, the former campaign director for Donald Trump has been nominated to be Counselor to the President. Bannon had little political relevance before partially founding the alt-right news network, Breitbart News. Because of the often controversial articles produced by Breitbart, Bannon has received criticism from both democrats and republicans. Greenpeace is in opposition to Bannon because content produced by his news company can often be interpreted as racist, sexist or nationalist. Bannon’s appointment does not require senate confirmation.